1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to electrical circuit boards, and more particularly to contacts facilitating the mounting of electrical components to a support, and electrical connection of such components to circuitry and/or each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
There is a great variety of devices for connecting electrical components to support devices and to electrical circuitry. In recent years, much emphasis has been placed on devices particularly adapted to convenient mounting of microelectronic circuit devices, typically integrated circuit chips, to circuit boards of the printed or wired type. In addition to making such devices useful with the printed circuitry in boards themselves, it has been desirable to provide pins thereon for wrapping wire around them, or pads for welding or soldering wire to them. It is desirable that such devices be removable from a board and replaceable individually, if necessary.
Examples of several of the many United States patents dealing with electrical contact members which might be useful for mounting a component to a board or socket member, and connection to electrical circuitry are as follows: EQU 3,555,497 Watanabe 1/12/71 EQU 3,659,243 Gluntz 4/25/72 EQU 3,718,895 Reynolds et al 2/27/73
Other U.S. Patents dealing with electrical contact members useful for mounting components to socket members and connection to electrical circuitry have been cited in my aforementioned Patent application Ser. No. 803,631.
One problem encountered with the conventional wire-wrap contacts is the susceptibility to turning of the contact in the hole as wire is wrapped on the pin. Another is alignment of the pin in order to avoid interference with the wire-wrapping machine. Another is the compounded torque problem created in the event it is necessary to wrap a pin two or three times. Still another is the overall height required for two wraps on a given pin. Space is at a premium in many applications.
It is an object of my invention to provide a socket for mounting components and making a variety of possible types of electrical connections to it, while minimizing the aforementioned problems.